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Meg Smerbeck's avatar

I enjoyed reading this immensely. As I responded to your previous article, LIVING in a place gives one perspectives that they otherwise wouldn’t have. I had many misconceptions (and if I am honest, prejudices) about southerners prior to living in Memphis for nine years. Many preconceived notions were confirmed and others challenged. Living in Pittsburgh gave me even more than a fine husband a Steeler fanaticism. I actually have a theory about why Hillary lost Pennsylvania that others who have not been immersed within my favorite blue collar town don’t have. May we all continue not just to travel and see places but to talk to others and learn about their lives. It humanizes all the statistics and putting a human face on things these days is so very needed.

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Brad Van Arnum's avatar

Given your connection to both states, and the fact that you specialize in Congress, it's funny to think that Idaho will likely gain a third House seat in 2031, possibly at Rhode Island's expense! I'll leave it to you to figure out the symbolism there. :)

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Charlie Hunt's avatar

Oh, you'd better believe the thought has occurred to me. RI escaped a seat loss in 2021 by the skin of its teeth. Within a couple years each of Idaho's districts will be twice as big as Rhode Island's. Luckily Jack Reed's seat in the Senate will (I'm betting) be open in 2032, so we might not have to deal with any incumbent vs. incumbent knife fights.

As for the symbolism, I'm just grateful I have a half-decade to figure out that one :)

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Jan Brogan's avatar

Loved the poem! And the nostalgia

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Neil Hunt's avatar

Not politics, but…I’ve been questioned many times about my shifting sports team alliances amidst my New England/Pittsburgh/Detroit/Maryland living situations - “how can you abandon ____”? It’s not so much abandonment as it is embracing a new community.

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